https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/direct-democracy-in-california-a-brief-history-and-its-functions
Direct democracy is the term we in government use to describe the ability of the voters to take matters into their own hands. In other words, it is the ability of the voters to enact or repeal laws, or recall elected officials. California is one of two dozen
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/the-california-constitution
California’s Constitution was first adopted in 1849, just prior to California becoming a state in 1850. The current constitution was then ratified on May 7, 1879 and is the governing document for the state of California, similar to the U.S. Constitution being the governing document for the entire country.
The California constitution has been
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/the-impact-of-the-state-budget-on-public-policy
California’s budget process continues to be and have a major impact on the state’s public policy agenda. From my vantage point, this is because numerous policy changes are enacted every year as part of the state budget. In other words, state public policy continues to be done as
SB 1208 concerns rules for judicial emergencies.
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/sb-1208
SB 1208 was authored by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and was signed in to law by Governor Jerry Brown on August 24, 2018 as Chapter 201. It took place January 1, 2019. The law creates new authority for the
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/overview-of-county-government-in-california
Counties in California are provided for under the state constitution as well as the Government Code. The Legislature has provided counties with corporate powers that are required to provide for the health and welfare of the general public within their respective county lines. They provide numerous services on behalf of the state, such as
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/overview-of-city-government-in-california
The over 475 cities in the state of California provide a wide range of municipal services including police, fire, parks, and libraries. A city’s government is headed by an elected or appointed Mayor to whom department heads are generally responsible. The City Council usually appoints a City Manager to oversee the city services.
Cities
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/comparing-california-government-to-other-state-governments
Structurally speaking, California state government is not unique among the other states. All fifty states provide for a republican form of government in their individual constitutions. And all the states are based upon the federal government model with three branches of state government: the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. Let’s
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/sb-1155
Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1155 by State Senator Ben Hueso on September 27 as Chapter 852. The bill revises the provision of law for language interpreters in small claims court. It also attempts to expand language access to limited English-proficient parties while in small claims court.
The Assembly repealed the section of
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/california-research-bureau
The California Research Bureau is a part of the California State Library and it’s a hidden gem located on the fifth floor of the California State Capitol Annex. It has been around for over a quarter of a century and it provides independent research and analysis to
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/sb-224
Senate Bill 224 deals with sexual harassment. Governor Brown signed SB 224 by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson on September 30, as Chapter 951. The bill adds investors, elected officials, lobbyists, directors, and producers to the list of examples of relationships that are covered by Civil Code Section 51.9. Civil Code Section 51.9 imposes civil